(Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. CMOS uses PMOS and NMOS transistors wired together in a balanced fashion that causes less power to be used than NMOS or PMOS transistors by themselves. The first transistors were bipolar, which are still used when higher power is required. CMOS and bipolar are also used in combination for many applications. See MOSFET, FET and bipolar transistor. See also CMOS memory.
A Note from the Author
Years ago, we had a kitten at the beach that we named CMOS. When we introduced the cute feline to people while the surf was slapping the sand, everyone thought it was such an appropriate name for a beach cat. "Sea Moss." Of course! However, when we told them her name stood for "complementary metal oxide semiconductor," they didn't come around much any more.
CMOS and Irma
This picture of CMOS and Alan Freedman's wife was taken one summer in Fair Harbor, NY in the early 1980s. CMOS didn't last long, as Alan became quite allergic to the cat a few months later.
A Note from the Author
Years ago, we had a kitten at the beach that we named CMOS. When we introduced the cute feline to people while the surf was slapping the sand, everyone thought it was such an appropriate name for a beach cat. "Sea Moss." Of course! However, when we told them her name stood for "complementary metal oxide semiconductor," they didn't come around much any more.
CMOS and Irma
This picture of CMOS and Alan Freedman's wife was taken one summer in Fair Harbor, NY in the early 1980s. CMOS didn't last long, as Alan became quite allergic to the cat a few months later.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
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- Blog posts 2009-10-20
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- Discussion threads 2009-10-08
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- Discussion threads 2009-09-04
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- Discussion threads 2009-09-04
- Is the new Canon EOS 7D a Nikon D300s killer?
- Missed a couple of thingsThe 7D also uses SDHC CF cards. Those appear to be required for the maximum burst rate. And according to the posted spec, HD video works not only at 30FPS, but also at 24 and 29.97. I want one.RE: Is the new Canon...
- Discussion threads 2009-09-02
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- The Canon Vixia HG21 is an excellent HD camcorder that's reasonably easy to operate out of the box and looks good, too. It's almost identical to the company's Vixia HF11, but rather than recording mainly to internal flash memory, it records to a hard drive. As for performance, it's as...
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- Discussion threads 2009-08-21
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- Discussion threads 2009-08-10
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- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 photos
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- Image galleries 2009-08-05
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